Dragon of Darkness
by NatsuDragneelFireLord
Summary: A little boy, called a demon of Zeref in his home village, runs away to live in the mountains. Igneel is the King of Fire Dragons and is looking for a home to stay. When he meets the boy, he is curious of the boy's powers. He stays with the boy and trains him to be a Dragon Slayer. But when Igneel disappears, the boy leaves to find a new home. Rated T for the kid's potty mouth.
1. Chapter 1

Igneel flew to the volcano, sure that this was the right place. He had been searching for a new home for weeks. His last house had unfortunately blown up. Igneel perched on the top and peered inside. He immediately yanked his head back out.

"What is this dark presence I feel?" He carefully lowered his head through the hole. The dark presence was nauseating, and Igneel nearly keeled over. He ever so carefully crept inside the volcano, peering this way and that. He followed the presence until he came upon a smaller cave. He could just barely squeeze through the entrance. Looking around, he spotted something that piqued his interest. There was a small child sitting in the corner. He looked no more than four years old. He crawled up to the boy, and saw that his eyes were closed. His hair was too dusty and dirty to tell the color. He wore plain clothes that seemed to be white, and his feet were bare.

"Hey, boy," Igneel called softly. The boy snapped his head up, but didn't open his eyes. His face was deathly pale, as if he hadn't seen light in years.

"What do you want?" he demanded in an unafraid voice. Igneel laughed softly.

"Well, I came looking for a place to stay. My name is Igneel, the great Fire Dragon King," Igneel stated proudly, expecting the boy to look shocked, or at least amazed. Instead, the boy looked bored.

"Oh, is that all? Well, Mr. Dragon, this is my cave. And unless you want me to beat the shit outta you, you better leave." Igneel was taken aback. How dare this...this... _human_ order him around!

"Boy, you are lucky I don't kill you where you stand! Show some respect!" Igneel roared. The boy stood and stepped closer. His eyes were still shut.

"Me, show respect to you? Pssh! No way! You're just a single shitty dragon. If you want to gain my respect, then show me your army." He crossed his small arms. "If not, then go. I don't have time to be messing around with you." And with that, the boy turned and sat back in his corner. Igneel was bristling with fury.

"How DARE you! I ought to end your miserable life right now!" But still, Igneel was fascinated with how the child spoke easily at his age, and on top of that, it seemed as if the child was emitting the dark presence he felt.

"Go ahead. I won't care. In fact, you would be doing me a favor," the boy said, crossing his legs under him. Igneel paused. Why did a child act so world-weary? A little boy shouldn't even know about death yet.

"What's your name, boy?" Igneel asked.

"Ain't telling you, stranger," the kid answered, and, to Igneel's amusement, stuck his tongue out.

"You fascinate me. I will not kill you for now, but you must not disrespect me, or I will eat you," Igneel said. The boy laughed.

"How about I just pretend I didn't hear you and tell you to leave again, before I shove a rock up your ass?"

"No, I like this place. It makes me feel at home. You, on the other hand, should be living in a village or town, not in a volcano. It's too hot for mere humans." Igneel was puzzled at this. Why was a human child apparently living inside this cave? And why didn't he open his eyes?

"It's not too hot for me. I like the heat. And besides, I'm not a mere human, oh, no. Just ask the village near here." The boy chuckled. "For now, you can just call me Zeref. That's the name the villagers gave me." Igneel was puzzled at the boy's behavior, and his nickname.

"Why Zeref?" he asked.

"Because they believed that I was either a real demon, or I was possessed by one." Zeref shrugged. "It kinda made sense, so I kept the name."

"Why did they think that you, a small, four-year-old child, was a demon?" Igneel questioned. Zeref shrugged again.

"I wasn't exactly a fucking angel child, as all the other kids were." He struggled to keep a straight face, and failed. He burst out laughing, a sharp, unnatural sound.

"What's so funny?" Igneel asked, totally confused.

"Everyone thought that _I_ was the demon child, and they were right. But the other kids could be just as bad as me. Wait, scratch that. They never could be as bad as me." By now, Igneel was hopelessly lost.

"So... everyone thought you were a demon, but you weren't a demon, and the other children bullied you?" Igneel tried to understand.

"No, I was a demon, but the other kids were almost as bad as I was. They tried to fucking kill me." Zeref laughed again. "They banished me to the mountains. Never to go back. That was two years ago."

"You were banished when you were two years old?" Igneel inquired. Zeref nodded, confusing Igneel to no end.

"Yeah, I was unnaturally smart, fast, and strong. Some of the older kids tried to out-do me, but failed. One tried to fight me, but he ended up in the damn hospital."

"Why do you never open your eyes?"

"Don't need to. I can see you perfectly fine."

"Open them anyways. I want to see them," Igneel ordered. Zeref sighed, but obeyed. Igneel was shocked by what he saw.

Zeref's eyes were a bright, iridescent gold. Little bits of blue, silver, and black flaked his iris. The pupils were a midnight black, with small bits of gold. Sadly, the beautiful eyes were seemingly clouded by something Igneel couldn't identify. The eyes closed again.

"I... don't know what to say..." Igneel managed. Zeref chuckled.

"Nobody does. Hey, you still want to live here, right?"

"Yes..."

"Well, I guess you can stay. But this is _my_ part of the cave." Zeref waved his hand in a 'shoo' gesture. Igneel laughed softly.

"Fine. I can barely fit anyways. Well-" A loud rumbling noise interrupted him. Igneel tilted his head. Zeref looked mortified. "I guess I could go hunting..."

"Really? Oh... go ahead. I don't want any." Zeref waved Igneel off, trying to act nonchalant. Another growl from his stomach made him flush in embarrassment.

"Your stomach says otherwise." Igneel crawled out of the small cave. "I'll be back soon, boy."

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry up already." Zeref mumbled. Igneel's soft laugh echoed in the cave.

 _ **In case you were wondering, no, that isn't really Zeref. Zeref is known as the strongest dark wizard in the world. Igneel isn't aware of that yet.**_


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, boy. I got some food, but I can't eat it all. Would you like some?" Igneel asked. Said child shook his head.

"I don't accept charity," he growled.

"It's not charity. It's payment for letting me live here," Igneel explained. Zeref's eyes widened.

"Well, when you put it that way..." He snatched some of the boar that Igneel had brought.

"Do you want me to-"

"SHADOW FLAME DRAGON ROAR!"

A burst of black flamed lit up the cave. Igneel froze in shock. The fire had come from the child's mouth.

"Boy, how did you do that?" Igneel choked out. Zeref was busy eating the now-cooked boar meat.

"I juth can do that. I don't know why or how, but ith juth nathural," Zeref mumbled around the boar. Igneel stared for a second.

"You used an ancient magic called Dragon Slayer magic. It's a spell rarely ever used anymore. Tell me, who taught you this magic?" Igneel asked warily. Zeref shrugged, already finished with his food.

"Hey, do you know a place where I could clean off? I haven't felt even remotely clean in years." He stood up and turned to Igneel.

"Yes, there is a pond not far from here. I could take you there," Igneel rumbled.

"Okay, let's go."

"AUGH!"

"What's the matter? Is it too cold for you?" Igneel teased.

"No, I stepped on a fucking snake! It bit me!" Zeref hopped around on one foot, clutching his other foot. He sat on a rock to check out the bite. "Oh, false alarm. It's already healing." Leaving Igneel confused at that comment, he gingerly stood up, relieved when his foot didn't even sting. He took off his shirt, leaving him in just his pants. Igneel gaped at what he saw. There, folded against Zeref's back, was a pair of dragon-like wings.

'Wings?! Since when did humans have wings?!' Igneel thought frantically.

"Okay, going in now!" Zeref ran to the edge of the pond and jumped in. The second his body touched the water, he yelped in surprise. "Why does it sting?"

"Oh, it's probably because you haven't touched water for years. Your body isn't used to it," Igneel explained automatically, still thinking.

"Well, that's damn stupid. I'm already used to it." Zeref started scrubbing at his face. The water around him started getting murky. "Eugh. That's fucking disgusting." He made a face at the brown water and moved off to a different spot. Igneel watched, wanting to see the boy's hair color.

"Hey! It's rude to watch someone take a bath!" Zeref yelled at him. Igneel chuckled.

"I'm merely observing. I don't want you going under." He continued to stare, wondering if the boy had any more surprises up his sleeve.

"Yeah, right." Zeref started working on getting the grime out of his hair. "Eww eww eww! Eugh! Bleh!" Igneel laughed at the child's antics; rubbing his head, checking his hand, then making a face at whatever he saw.

"Hey, boy! What's your hair color?" Igneel called.

"Wait and see!" Zeref shouted back before completely submerging his head. Igneel waited for him to come back up. And waited. And waited.

"Hey! Are you okay down there?" There was no answer. Zeref had been under for more than five minutes already. Igneel got prepared to jump in when a small, pink head popped up in the middle of the pond.

"WHOAH! IT'S LIKE A WHOLE 'NOTHER WORLD DOWN THERE!" Igneel gaped at the little, pink- haired boy that just appeared.

"Zeref?! Is that really your hair color?!" Igneel gasped. Zeref looked unseeingly to the water.

"Yeah... go ahead and laugh... everyone does..." He sounded sad, like everyone had laughed at his hair before, and he expected no different from a dragon. Instead, Igneel smiled.

"It's a very unique color. If you had a normal hair color, I would be wondering what was so special about you." Zeref tilted his head up.

"Really? You don't think it makes me look like a fucking pansy?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that..."

"HEY!"

Igneel laughed good- naturedly.

"Just playing, boy. Now, hurry up and get cleaned. I will get you some new clothes." He stood up and flapped his leathery wings. His red scales glistened in the dying sun.

"Bye, Igneel!" Zeref called after the red dragon.

"Goodbye, little Zeref," Igneel growled softly.

"Um, are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely."

"Really? This is kinda... uncomfortable."

"It's on backwards, boy!"

"Oh..."

Igneel, as a human, had gone to the town near the forest and had traded for some clothes for Zeref. Said child had taken one look at the clothes and was suspicious. He didn't think they would fit him. Igneel thought it would be because of the boy's wings.

The clothes consisted of a black shirt with golden lining, black shorts with the same lining, a pair of black sandals, and a golden headband. Igneel had also gotten a cloak, but he wasn't sure that Zeref could take the heat.

"There. Now what?"

"Now, we sleep. It is dark, and I need my rest." Igneel went to a larger part of the cave, where he lay down as a dragon.

"Aw, damn it! That's boring. I still wanna kick your ass," Zeref whined, but he went to his part of the cave.

"Stop complaining. You'll need your sleep for tomorrow," Igneel ordered. Zeref huffed, but went silent. Igneel laughed softly, imagining the boy with an annoyed look on his face.

"Say, boy, who taught you how to talk?"

"Nobody. I just listened to what everyone else said, and learned it myself," came the reply. Igneel shook his head in wonder.

"It's a surprise that you even know how to use such curses..."

"Well, my village was very violent." Zeref could be heard shuffling in the cave. Igneel sighed softly.

"Good night, boy."

"...Good night, Igneel the Fire Dragon."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Timeskip- July 20, Year 777**_

 __ _East Forest_

Makarov Dreyar was heading back from the Magic Council meeting. He decided to take a detour through the East Forest because, really, nobody ever went there. As he was walking, he sensed a dark presence nearby.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" he barked, stopping and looking around. The daek presence vanished as soon as it came. Makarov glanced behind him warily. He could tell that someone was there. "I know you're there! Come out, before I make you!"

"Ha! You can't make me do nothing, old man!" a child's voice scoffed. Makarov jumped, not expecting an answer.

"Old man?! I'm the master of Fairy Tail!" he shouted angrily. The voice laughed again.

"You just look like a short old man to me!" At this point, Makarov had enough. Stretching an arm, he reached to the spot he knew the person was hiding. A small figure popped out from the bush and disappeared into the leaves of the tree beside it. Makarov glared up at the tree.

"Who's just a short old man now?"

"Still you!" the voice cackled. "Did you say you were Fairy Tail's master?" Makarov puffed out his chest proudly.

"The one and only!" he bragged.

"Hold on a second, I gotta think," the voice said. Makarov blinked in confusion.

"Think? Why?" he asked. The voice didn't answer. Makarov sighed, sitting down to wait.

"Hey, gramps?"

"Don't call me gramps!" Makarov growled.

"Do you think that I could join your guild? My... dad said I should try to join a guild someday, and your guild is the only one I've heard of this far." Makarov was confused again. Why did someone live in the woods with their father?

"What about your father, kid? What will he think?"

"My dad was murdered," the boy said bluntly. "And, besides, he told me to join a guild. So, what do you say, gramps?" Makarov was totally stunned. His father was murdered? Why?

"I guess you can join, but only if you stop calling me gramps!" he huffed, trying not to show his pity for the boy. He heard a small chuckle.

"Okay, old man!" The figure jumped down from the tree, landing on a bush. Makarov winced when he saw that the bush had thorns.

"Are you okay, brat?" he asked, slightly worried. A grunt answered his question.

"I'm fine." The boy clambered out of the bush, picking thorns out of a scarf wrapped around his neck. Makarov stared At the boy's hair.

"You have pink hair?" he questioned. The boy, who's eyes were closed, sighed.

"No, duh. What, is there a problem?" Makarov sensed the threat in his voice.

"No, not at all," he said quickly. The boy smiled.

"Good."

"What's your name, brat?"

"You can call me Zeref if you like. That's my nickname. I don't tell anyone my real name, for safety purposes." Makarov sighed.

"Why Zeref?"

"My village was very violent and thought I was a demon. So, they called me Zeref," the boy explained. Makarov nodded.

"Alright, let's go to Fairy Tail and get you registered!"

"Hey, Makarov! Who's the pinky?" Gray asked, taking note of the pink-haired boy behind the guild master.

"None of your business, stripper!" Zeref snarled, giving Gray a death glare. Gray either didn't notice or didn't care for the deadly aura surrounding the pinkette.

"I don't want him joining! He's a pansy!" Gray whined. This just got Zeref annoyed.

"Oh, really? So, having pink hair makes me a pansy?" He smirked devilishly, his hair covering his closed eyes.

"Yep! I mean, since when did a guy have pink-" Gray's breath left him quickly when Zeref delivered a punch to his gut. He flew into a table, crashing into Mira on the way. Mira yelped in surprise.

"What the heck, Gray?" she hissed. Gray looked up and pointed to Zeref.

"It was him!" he said quickly, not wanting to be the object of Mira's fury. Mira whipped around and saw the pinkette standing there with a toothy grin.

"Well, you were certainly all talk!" he scoffed. Mira got a dark aura around her.

"So, you were the one that threw Gray at me?" she asked darkly. Zeref nodded.

"The stripper deserved it. I mean, look at him! He doesn't even realize that he's stripping!" Gray looked down to see that he was down to boxers only.

"Again?" he growled, looking for his shirt. Mira glared at Zeref, not happy with his answer.

"Take this, pinky!" she suddenly roared, rushing towards him and swinging a fist. Zeref easily caught it and flipped her over.

"So, old man, when can I join?" he asked nonchalantly, as if he hadn't just flipped a girl at least five years older than him over his head.

"Right now, if you like. Erza, could you get the stamp?" Makarov asked the redhead. Erza nodded and went to the bar to grab the stamp. Zeref followed quickly behind her, not wanting to be there when Mira recovered.

"So, your name is Erza?" he asked. Erza nodded.

"Erza Scarlet. And you are?" She cast him a sideways glance.

"Zeref," he said simply. "Who's the stripper? And the white-haired monster?" Erza smiled slightly at the nicknames.

"The raven is Gray Fullbuster, and the monster is Mirajane Strauss. What color, and where?" She held out a stamp with the Fairy Tail insigna on the back.

"Red, and on my shoulder." Zeref felt a bit of joy when the mark was imprinted on his shoulder. Sadly, his joy didn't last when Mira came charging at him again. He sighed in annoyance, then got ready for a fight. But Erza stepped in front of him.

"Chasing after the new kid, white-haired bitch?" she hissed, putting her hands on her hips.

"You bet, thunder thighs!" Mira growled, stopping in front of Erza. Zeref felt a tug on his wrist, and looked to see a mini-Mira with short hair instead of long.

"You might want to move. Big sister Mira and Erza will probably start a fight again," Lisanna said, pulling Zeref over to sit with her and Elfman.

"I'm Lisanna, and this is my brother, Elfman," Lisanna introduced, sitting down."Mira is our big sister." The siblings looked at Zeref expectantly.

"Zeref," he said, sitting down next to Lisanna.

"Gray, God damn it! Get out of the way!"

"Ahh! I'm sorry!"

"ERZA!"

"Do you think we should stop them?" Zeref asked, glancing at the fight.

"They'll be fine. This always happens!" Lisanna said happily. Zeref sighed.

'Something tells me I won't fit in very well...' he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Timeskip**_

"Hey, Natsu! We made it to Hargeon!" A blue cat, carrying a small green bundle on his back, tried to shove the half-asleep boy off of the train. The boy was wearing a plain, black, long-sleeve shirt and pants with black boots. But the boy, Natsu, seemed dead to the world. He was completely ignoring the feline. Of course, the cat just had to kick Natsu in the face. Natsu jumped up, glaring at the cat.

"What was that for, Happy?" he growled, rubbing the sore spot on his face as he got off the train.

"You fell asleep! And you wouldn't get up!" Happy flew up and perched on Natsu's head. Natsu irritably shook his head, knocking the unsuspecting neko to the ground.

"Hey! That hurt, Natsu!" Happy whined, standing up and jumping to Natsu's shoulder. Natsu growled a bit, but he let the cat sit on his shoulder. Walking away from the train station, Natsu noticed a bunch of girls crowding the street. Deciding it wasn't important, he passed by without a second glance. Until he heard a girl call out "Salamander!". He stopped quickly and looked at the crowd.

"Hey, what's wrong, Natsu?" Happy asked. Natsu didn't answer right away.

"Someone popular is in that crowd," he murmured angrily. Happy nodded.

"And? Why do you care?" His tone made it clear that he was surprised that Natsu even noticed. Natsu stayed silent, but he turned and headed to the crowd. Happy jumped off of his shoulder in annoyance.

"Fine, don't tell me! I'm getting some fish!" he huffed. Natsu ignored him. Instead, he started shoving the girls out of his way to reach the middle.

"You girls are all so sweet!" Natsu saw the man in the middle of the crowd. He was flirting with some of the girls in the horde. Spotting the heart-like ring on the man's finger, Natsu immediately knew what was going on.

"Hey!" he shouted. The man called Salamander turned to Natsu, apparently annoyed. Natsu stomped right up to the man and glared at him full-force. Salamander took a step back at the fierceness of his stare.

"Ah- What do you want, boy? An autograph from the famous Fairy Tail wizard, Salamander?" Salamander snarled, trying to keep his cool. Natsu said nothing, but he smirked, unnerving the older male. "Go away, kid! You're annoying!" he demanded, but still Natsu didn't say anything. Instead, he disappeared. Salamander looked around in confusion.

"Where-" A sudden punch to his face stopped him mid-sentence. Falling backwards, he could feel the ring slip off his finger.

"Thanks for the ring, poser. Now, I'll just leave you to the ladies, here, that want revenge for what you did to them~" Natsu pocketed the ring and practically skipped away. The girls around him, no longer entranced by the ring, suddenly turned malicious and attacked the fake Salamander in their midst. Happy flew up to Natsu, noticing the sudden commotion.

"Sorry about earlier, Happy. I just found another one," Natsu apologized, putting his hands behind his head.

"Aye. I heard about the Salamander guy after you went into the crowd." Happy flew onto Natsu's head again, only this time the pinkette didn't shake him off.

"Thank you for your help!" a voice behind the two said. Natsu looked over his shoulder to see a blond girl wearing boots, a short skirt, and a blue and white top. She lifted her hand in a small wave. "My name's Lucy. Nice to meet you!"

"So, you're Happy. And who is this?" Lucy asked, gesturing to the pink-haired boy that had been completely silent throughout their walk.

"He doesn't like just giving away his name, so he tells people to call him Zeref. Only I know his real name," Happy explained. Lucy blinked.

"Why Zeref? Isn't Zeref a dark wizard?" she inquired. The blue neko nodded.

"Yeah, Na- Zeref was called a demon in his old village, so he thinks the nickname is fitting." Lucy looked at the boy behind her, who was currently glowering at all the people passing by. The unsuspecting people were taken aback by his glare, and Lucy couldn't help but sigh at this. Zeref, known to Happy as Natsu, shot a look her way, and Lucy jumped back when she realized he had heard her.

"Zeref wants you to stop talking about him like he isn't there," Happy suddenly said. Lucy looked at him.

"How do you know?" she demanded. Happy shrugged.

"I mastered the art of silent communication. Like a ninja," he said, putting his paws together as if imitating a ninja. Lucy slapped a hand to her face.

"Why am I stuck with such a stupid cat?" she murmured to herself.

"Happy isn't stupid." She jumped at Natsu's voice behind her and turned to face the anti-social boy. He was giving her the harshest glare she had ever seen. Squeaking in fear, she held Happy up in front of her face to protect herself. Until Happy was taken from her grasp.

"And don't use him like a shield." Natsu placed the cat on his shoulder, and the neko smiled. Happy had somehow gotten another fish, and was chewing happily on it. Lucy realized that this Zeref person she had just met cared a lot for Happy, and she should refrain from insulting Happy when Zeref was nearby. Speaking of which, Zeref had started walking again and was leaving the girl behind.

"Hey! Wait! I'm sorry for treating Happy like that! You don't have to leave me behind!" she called, hurrying after him.

"Aye, N- Zeref! You should be nicer to her!" Happy scolded, poking Natsu's face with a paw. Natsu struggled to ignore him, but it was pretty hard for him to ignore someone sitting on his shoulder.

"Hey." Poke. "Zeref." Poke. "Where are we going?" Poke.

"The guild," Natsu finally spoke, making Happy stop poking the pinkette's face.

"Why are we going there?" Happy asked. Natsu rarely went to the guild willingly; usually Happy had to force him to go.

"I need to take a job," Natsu answered simply.

"What are you two talking about?" Lucy asked. "Are you mages?"

"Aye. Zeref here is a fire wizard, and I use Aera magic so I can fly!" To make a point, Happy sprouted his wings and flew in a circle over Natsu's head.

"Zeref uses magic? Why haven't I seen it?" Lucy questioned the neko.

"Yes, I use magic, and I don't like using it so much. Now, if you would talk to me in person, I might actually answer your questions myself." Lucy jumped, forgetting Zeref's request that she talk to him in person.

"S-Sorry," she murmured. Zeref shrugged it off, as if he didn't even care in the first place.

"So, why are you following us again?"

 ** _Woo! Sorry for the reeeeealy late update! Writer's block hit pretty hard! *Rubs bump on my head*_**


	5. Chapter 5

Natsu irritably shook his head, trying to rid it of bugs and nekos alike.

"Na-Zereeeffff!" Happy whined, still stumbling with the whole 'call Natsu Zeref while Lucy's around' thing. "I just wanna sit on your heeeeaaaddd!"

"I don't like it," Natsu said simply, his eyes flashing gold, which only Happy noticed. The neko gave Natsu a discreet look, clearly telling him to cool it. Happy continued complaining, but he sat on Natsu's pack instead. Lucy watched this exchange in amusement.

"You didn't seem bothered by it before," she put in. But Natsu shot her a glare so deadly, she immediately regretted opening her mouth in the first place.

"I wasn't _annoyed_ earlier, was I?" The pink-haired menace growled coldly. Lucy took a few steps back, as if it would save her from the hate he sent her way.

"Sorry, sorry!" she squeaked. Natsu's gaze relaxed, and he looked forward again. Lucy visibly shivered. He could be _really_ scary when he wanted to be.

"We're almost there," Happy said, well, happily. Lucy immediately perked up.

"You mean Fairy Tail?" she squealed.

"Aye!"

"I can't wait!" Lucy had a new spring to her step, much to Natsu's annoyance. Lucy's arms were swinging lazily by her sides, something Natsu couldn't help but notice. Which annoyed him more. Which made him notice everything else that could possibly annoy him. Which... Well, you get the point. Suddenly deciding he couldn't take it anymore, he reached out a hand and grabbed the blond's arm. Lucy yelped in surprise, before looking incrediously at the owner of the offending hand.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"It was annoying me," Natsu answered simply, walking ahead of the girl. Lucy stared after him, with Happy giving her an apologetic glance.

"Zeref gets annoyed by everythong. Don't take it badly, Luigi."

"It's Lucy!"

(*-*)

"I'll go ahead, kay, Zeref?" Happy didn't even wait for an answer. Instead, he flew into the window inside the building labeled _Fairy Tail_. Zeref watched the cat go, then started to the large double doors connecting the inside of the building to the rest of the world. Even before opening them, Lucy could hear the wild shouts and crashes. But what scared her was when it suddenly went deathly silent, even before Zeref opened the doors.

"A-are you sure you aren't a mass murderer?" Lucy asked tentatively, weakly attempting at humor. Natsu barely looked at her before shoving the twin doors open roughly, causing them to bang against the walls with a resounding crash. All eyes in the guild were on the two standing in the doorway.

"I told you! I didn't even have to force him to come this time!" Happy said proudly, as if he was a mother showing off the fact that their son just rode their bike for the first time. Flying over to the pink-haired boy, Happy proceeded to sit on his head, causing Natsu's eye to twitch. Something Lucy noticed.

"Er, Happy? Do you really think you should sit there?" Lucy saod nervously. Happy nodded.

"Aye! Natsu would never really hurt me!" he said confidently. Natsu's eyes flashed again, startling Lucy with the sudden gold color, but he took a _deep_ breath before walking into the room. All of the people still had yet to look away.

"Zeref really did bring a girl with him!" one of the members suddenly shouted. As if these words were a trigger, poor Natsu and Lucy had to deal with a flood of questions. Well, mostly Lucy, since Natsu seemed to just look straight through everyone and everything. Happy seemed to be having the most fun, watching Lucy struggle her way through the questions.

"Hey, what's your name?" one curious man asked.

"I'm Lucy," Lucy answered, before getting a bunch more random questions. They ranged from, 'What's your last name?' to 'What color is the wallpaper in your room?'

"Enough! I didn't come back for a headache! If I wanted that, I would've listened to Elfman blab on about being a man!" Natsu suddenly snapped. The whole room went silent, except for one brave white-haired girl. She actually _laughed_.

"Oh, Zeref! You know that's mean!" she said playfully, punching him in the arm lightly. Something only Lisanna could do. Natsu grunted irritably, but stopped glaring at the horde of people crowding around him. Lucy stared at this interaction. Did that girl really just _laugh_? And Natsu didn't kill her? Wow. She must be pretty special.

"So, Lucy. How'd you and Zeref meet?" Krov, a buck-toothed man, asked curiously.

"Well, it's actually a really funny story..." Lucy never realized that a pair of dark eyes were watching her every move, with mild recognition in their gaze.

(*-*)

 _ **Le gasp! I actually updated early for me! Yay me! Anyways, just to let you know, many, MANY things will be explained in later chapters. If you have the energy to write a review, I will answer all questions honestly and the best I can next chapter! Until then~! *Parkours away***_


	6. Chapter 6

"So, Zeref..." Lisanna started. Natsu never looked away from his silent staring contest with Gray, but he grunted in acknowledgement. "Why'd you bring Lucy back with you?" Natsu continued staring, as Gray struggled not to blink.

"She wanted to join," Natsu said simply. Gray blinked at the unexpected answer. Natsu _almost_ smiled at his victory over the ice mage.

"Y-you talked!" Gray gasped. Natsu quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing more. In fact, he still hadn't blinked. "YOU ACTUALLY TALKED FOR YOURSELF!" Gray screeched, falling backwards in his seat. A few members looked his way, but when they met Natsu's cold, unblinking gaze, they quickly looked away. Gray scrambled away from Natsu, screaming bloody murder. Natsu almost, _almost_ laughed, but he didn't. Lisanna laughed openly, and she poked Natsu in the arm.

"You freaked him out! You almost never talk! Don't scare the poor guy like that," she scolded mockingly, knowing that even if she was just joking he'd listen to her anyways. He made a small noise to say he heard her, then stood up and started to walk away.

"Zereeeeeeef! Don't leave without me again!" Happy called, running after the boy. Natsu pretended not to hear and kept walking. Lisanna watched them happily, before looking around for a certain someone...

* * *

Lucy sighed when the last question was answered. She looked for Zeref so she could give him a piece of her mind for just leaving her like that, but she didn't see cloak nor hair of the boy. Sighing in disappointment, she knew he probably left. After Gray freaked out like that, it wasn't surprising. She spotted Lisanna waving her over from a corner table, and decided to join her.

"So, did you know you're the first person Zeref ever brought to the guild?" Lisanna said the second Lucy sat down. Lucy blinked in shock.

"No, I didn't," she answered. Lisanna giggled.

"You must've been either special or just stubborn to follow Zeref back to the guild," Lisanna observed, laying her head on her intertwined hands. Lucy blushed lightly and rubbed the back of her head.

"Actually, Happy told me I could come along and Zeref just let me," she admitted. Now it was Lisanna's turn to be surprised.

"He let you? He didn't try to lose you or chase you away with a stick?" she asked incrediously. Lucy nodded hesitantly.

"He just kept asking me why I was following him in the first place..." Lucy muttered, thinking Lisanna must have gone insane. Lisanna was staring at Lucy as if she had just said that magic wasn't real.

"You're definitely special somehow. What kind of wizard are you?" she suddenly asked, suspicion clear in her voice.

"I'm a Celestial wizard," Lucy said, leaning away from the white-haired girl. Lisanna blinked, then nodded.

"Oh, I get it now. That's why he brought you here," Lisanna mumbled, more to herself than Lucy. She looked at her hands before looking up at Lucy, happiness in her eyes. "You should ask him tomorrow about why he brought you here. He'll probably tell you," Lisanna said with a small wink, standing up and leaving Lucy at the table. Lucy stared at the spot that Lisanna had been, confusion clouding her brain. She got some curious glances, but she didn't acknowledge them in any way.

"What does me being a Celestial wizard have to do with anything...?" she asked herself, fingering one of her keys. Aquarius, to be exact."Oh, well. I guess I'll find out when I see Zeref again."

* * *

Happy looked around for anyone that could possibly eavesdrop on his conversation with Natsu. Spotting none, he looked up at the silent mage.

"Natsu...? How come you brought Lucy to the guild?" Happy asked quietly.

 _'She's a Celestial wizard. And a strong one at that._ ' Happy looked at the ground, thinking, before glancing at Natsu again.

"So... you're gonna give her _them_?" He said _them_ as if they were something important. Natsu nodded a reply, then paused to pick up the neko.

 _'I can tell she'll... no,_ we'll _need them.'_ He put the cat on his shoulder and continued walking at a faster pace.

"Aye..."


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey, Lucy! Where's Zeref?" Lisanna called, sitting next to the girl at the bar.

"How would I know? I'm not his shadow!" Lucy snapped, her head resting on the bar's wooden surface. Lisanna was taken aback by her harsh tone.

"Don't be mad at her. It's just that Zeref came to her house in the middle of the night, looking for Happy, and he woke her up by stepping on her," Mira explained the poor blond's situation, smiling sympathetically. Lisanna nodded.

"Yeah, I heard. That's why I asked her," Lisanna said, poking the Celestial mage. "Sorry about bugging you. I just wanted to know," she said softly, standing up to look for the anti-social mage. Lucy sighed heavily into the smooth wood.

"Great, now I look like a total jerk," she muttered to herself.

"Found him!" Lisanna called. Lucy looked over her shoulder to see Lisanna struggling to pull a surly-looking Zeref out from under one of the tables. He was apparently hiding from Happy, who was trying to get him to go fishing with him.

"Zeref! Come fishing with me!" Happy demanded when he spotted the boy. He got up in Natsu's face like 'look at me, you jerk!', and glared as harshly as his adorable features would allow. Natsu glared back, though it was only half-hearted.

"I don't want to," he said bluntly. Happy seemed to deflate, his head drooping as he sniffled.

"But you promised..." he whimpered. Natsu didn't soften his glare, but winced inside. How did Happy always get him to do something he didn't want to?

"Fine..." he mumbled, giving in to Happy's sad face. Happy, looking just like his namesake, perked up and sat on Natsu's head.

"Great! Now, let's go!" he chirped. Natsu looked as annoyed as he felt, but followed the neko's order anyhow.

"Ufufufu..." Lisanna snickered. "Reedus, can you paint that for me?" The artist grinned.

" _Oui_ ," he confirmed, already starting with the paints. Lucy watched it all, unamused and fuming at the dark mage, before groaning aloud and banging her head on the bar.

"Why does Zeref have to be so dense?" she growled to herself. "He doesn't even care for my suffering..."

"Aw, cheer up! I can tell he thinks you're special, not just because you're a Celestial wizard!" Mira piped happily.

"Why does everyone keep saying stuff about me being a Celestial wizard?" Lucy grumbled. But Mira only grinned slyly, winking mysteriously at the girl before lifting up a glass to clean.

* * *

"Natsu...?" Happy whispered, seeing the tense look on the mage's face, his eyes shining golden. Natsu blinked, his eyes turning back to normal.

 _'Sorry, it happened again,'_ he apologized. Happy nodded.

"Aye. I could tell. It's getting worse, isn't it?" he asked seriously.

 _'All the more reason I need to get these to Lucy.'_ Natsu shifted the small bundle in his lap to the side. _'We'll need them really soon. I can feel it.'_

Happy didn't doubt him for a second. Because whatever Natsu said was going to happen always happened, no matter how strange it seemed. And his prediction this timne wasn't a good one.

"How come you like Lucy so much?" Happy suddenly asked. Even a cat could tell Natsu was being overly lenient when it came to the Celestial mage.

 _'She's a good person. This world needs more people like her,'_ came the answer. Natsu said it as if it was the most logical thing in the world, but Happy smirked knowingly.

"You liiiike her!" he chuckled.

 _'Shut up and catch something already.'_

"Aye!"

* * *

 _ **Wow, these just get shorter and shorter. I will try to work on making them longer again, but I'm kind of... well... lazy. *Cough cough***_


	8. Chapter 8

Lucy wearily walked home, not even awake enough to walk on the edge of the water like usual.

"I don't know, Plue. I just feel like he doesn't like me as much as everyone says," she admitted to her newest spirit.

"Puun," Plue said agreeably. Lucy glanced down at him, a small smile on her face.

"You're so cute!" she cooed, picking up the snowman-looking thing and squeezing him tight. She continued walking until she spotted her new rented apartment. Sighing slightly, she stepped inside and walked up the stairs.

"A bath sounds like heaven right now," she muttered to herself, unlocking the door. But two seconds later, she was kicking a cloaked boy across the room.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE AGAIN?!" she shrieked at the pink-haired boy that was trying to regain his footing.

"So loud..." he mumbled to himself, brushing imaginary dust from his cloak and pulling something out from his pocket. It was a small bundle, wrapped in dark green cloth and folded neatly in the palm of his hand.

"What's that?" Lucy asked, immediately curious.

"We came to give them to you!" Happy chimed in, sitting on Lucy's pink bed and eating a fish.

"Eh? Something for me?" Lucy stared at Natsu, known to her as Zeref.

"You'll need these sooner or later. Make contracts with them as soon as you can and keep them close," Natsu said sternly, placing the package in her hand.

"Uh, okay?" Lucy agreed nervously. Natsu's eyes were an intense-looking mix of gold and black. But when he blinked, they turned to their normal charcoal color.

"You'd do well to take my warning seriously," he said, turning away to face the bed.

"Aye! He's always right!" Happy agreed. Natsu started walking to the window, making alarm bells ring in Lucy's mind.

"What are you doing?" she asked carefully. Natsu stepped onto her bed, like this was a daily occurence.

"Leaving," he said bluntly, opening her window with one swift movement.

"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" Lucy shrieked, running to grab him before he jumped. But he just hopped out the window with what looked like intentional flourish, his cloak fluttering around him. Lucy leaned out the window, watching him land like a cat.

"See ya, Luigi." He waved over his shoulder while pulling the hood over his head, hiding his vibrant pink hair.

"It's Lucy!" Lucy shouted after him. But he gave no indication he heard her. Sighing in frustration, Lucy closed the window with a little more force than necessary and sat next to Happy. Plue sat comfortably on her lap.

"So, what are these, Happy?" Lucy asked, realizing she had yet to open the small bundle.

"They're Celestial Spirit keys. Zeref's been collecting them for years," Happy answered, patting the package lightly. "There's at least six of them in here."

"SIX?!" Lucy gaped at the tiny green bundle. "NO WAY!"  
"Aye! You can look if you want. That's why N-Zeref gave them to you," Happy said, pulling another fish out of nowhere. Lucy's hand trembled as she raised it to unwrap the dark green cloth. She very slowly lifted one corner of the wrapping, and a glint of gold promted her to unwrap it completely.

And, as Happy said, there were six small golden keys resting in her lap.


	9. Chapter 9

Lucy stared at the small pieces of gold, glinting in the late afternoon sun.

"T-there really is six of them..." she muttered to herself, lifting one of the keys up to examine it. It was Gemini, their key slightly warm in her fingers. She looked at the other keys.

"Leo..." She lightly touched the key, admiring it happily.

"Virgo..." She shifted Virgo's key to the side to look at the others.

"Scorpio..." A cold sweat formed on her forehead when she remembered Aquarius' boyfriend was this certain spirit.

"Sagittarius..." She ran her finger across the smooth surface, feeling the slight hum of magic from it's core.

"And Capricorn..." She spread the six golden keys on her lap, lightly touching them one after the other.

"Lucy... you look creepy," Happy mumbled, finishing off his third fish since Lucy got back.

"I'm not creepy!" Lucy snapped, her fist ready to punch the poor, defenceless neko.

 _'You touch Happy, and you die. Simple as that.'_

Lucy suddenly shivered, her eyes terrified.

"A-anyways..." She turned her attention back to the keys, trying to get rid of the nagging voice in her head. For some strange reason, it almost sounded like Zeref. She gingerly lifted a key. Virgo.

"Should I make a contract with them now, or should I make one tomorrow?" she asked the cat beside her.

"I would say now. You'll need a chance to make friends with them before _it_ happens," Happy suggested, saying _it_ as if it was a big event everybody knew about.

"What is _it_?" Lucy asked curiously. But Happy shook his head.

"That's for N-Zeref to tell you. I should probably go home now," he said nervously, starting to fly towards her door.

"Oh, really? Sure you can't tell me _anything_?" Lucy purred, her voice lightly menacing. Happy gulped, then nodded stiffly.

"A-aye. Bye, Luigi," he said hastily flying as fast as he could out the door. Lucy sighed in disappointment.

"Nobody tells me anything these days..." she muttered bitterly. She glanced at the keys in her lap. "Still... why do I have the feeling that nobody _wants_ me to know?"

* * *

Happy barged through the front door, slamming it behing him.

 _'What happened?'_ Natsu asked immediately, picking up the exausted neko and sitting down, Happy in his lap.

"Lucy happened. She tried to get me to tell her about the Celestial Moons," Happy gasped, strugling to breath. Natsu visibly stiffened.

 _'How did she find out?'_ he demanded. Happy shook his head violently.

"No, she doesn't know about it! She just knows we're keeping something from her!" he said quickly. Natsu relaxed, but his body was still slightly tensed.

 _'We can't tell her. Not yet, at least,'_ he said, leaning against the wall. Happy stood up and headed for the cabinets.

"Why not? She already is suspicious," he said, idly looking throught their food supply.

 _'She hasn't made contracts with the other Spirits yet. She needs to build their trust, then I'll tell her,'_ Natsu decided, his black eyes staring blankly at the wall. They sometimes sparked golden, but remained glassy and unfocused.

"Aye. But what if she isn't like you think she is?" Happy asked seriously, staring Natsu straight in his dark eyes. Natsu blinked, then focused on Happy.

"I know what kind of person she is. Trust me on this, buddy," he said aloud, rare in itself, but also calling Happy _buddy_ , something that happened only about once a year. Happy stared for a heartbeat longer, then nodded solemnly.

"I trust you. It's just _Lucy_ that I don't trust. Yet."

* * *

 _ **Hey, I'm going to make this chapter a little longer than the rest. You know, because I'm such an amazing person *Poses flashily***_

 _ **Luffy: *From somewhere in One Piece* BOO!**_  
 _ **Natsu: *From the story* Go away. You're annoying.**_

 _ **Me: But... but I'm the**_ **author** _ ***Runs away screaming dramatically***_

 _ **Natsu/Luffy: ...**_

* * *

Lisanna watched as Lucy skipped throught the doors, a giant smile platered on her face.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Lisanna asked curiously as Lucy sat beside her.

"Oh, nothing~!" Lucy said dismissively, waving a hand. Lisanna looked at Lucy's slightly flushed face.

"Ah, did Zeref finally tell you how he feels?" Lisanna said suggestively, a sly wink added into the mix.

"No, nothing like that! He just gave me something, that's all!" Lucy stammered, hands waving frantically.

"Oh? He did, did he?" Lisanna teased. "What did he give you, then?"

"He gave me some Celestial keys!" Lucy said quickly, pulling out her key pouch. "See?" She opened it up to show her gold and silver keys. Lisanna's smile dropped instantly.

"So... _that_ will happen soon... No wonder his magic's been darker than usual..." Lisanna said to herself, her brow furrowed in thought.

"His magic?"

"Gah! You weren't supposed to hear that!" Lisanna suddenly stood and all but ran from Lucy. "Zeref will tell you everything soon enough! Good luck..." Her voice faded as she ran out the doors. Lucy stared after her, mouth open in plain confusion.

"WHY WON'T ANYBODY TELL ME ANYTHING?!" she suddenly bellowed, raising her fists in the air angrily. Her good mood was soured already, and she was here less than five minutes.

"Shouting is MANLY!" Elfman suddenly popped up beside her, a smirk on his tan face. Lucy glared at him, and he sweated nervously before backing away. Lucy sighed and slammed her head on the table, ignoring the pain spreading throughout her poor brain.

"Hey, it's Zeref! He's back!" she heard someone shout fearfully. She looked up immediately, and spotted the said boy stalking through the doors. His hood was up, and there was an almost tangible dark aura surrounding him. Lucy almost didn't want to approach him, but curiosity made her stand and walk over to the boy.

"Um, Zeref?" she asked hesitantly. Natsu made to glare at her, but when he saw it was the Celestial mage, he relaxed and just eyed her wearily.

"What do you want?" he sighed.

"I just wanted to say thank you for the keys. And why did you give them to me anyways?" she asked, biting her lip and shifting uncomfortably. She wanted to hug hum, but she knew physical contact was unwelcome. He stared at her for a second, then just shrugged.

"Maybe because I'm not exactly an expert Celestial wizard?" he suggested, walking past her. "You are, so that means you can use them better than me." Lucy turned around and watched him climb up the stairs to the second floor. She started to follow, but Mira grabbed her arm. Lucy turned to tell Mira to let go, but Mira just shook her head.

"That's the second floor. For S-Class wizards like Natsu," she said softly, watching Natsu disappear on the top of the steps. Lucy stared after him, frustrated that he once more managed to dodge her questions again.

* * *

 _ **Whee! An actually long chapter! *Watches the crowd cheer* And you all don't know what the Celestial Moons are! *Now is dodging random shit everyone's throwing***_

 _ **Natsu: Really?**_

 _ **Me: OwO'**_

 _ **Natsu: *Sets fists on fire***_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **Me: *Isn't seen for the next week***_


	10. Chapter 10

Lucy couldn't sleep tonight, for some odd reason. She kept tossing and turning, and her eyes seemed glued open. Sighing in defeat, Lucy kicked off her quilt and stalked to the bathroom. Maybe a bath would help her sleep...

"Luigi!" She froze mid-step. Only two people she knew called her Luigi.

"Zeref," she hissed to herself, stomping back to her bed. She climbed on top, then opened her window. She was met with a large gust of wind, and pink hair to the face.

"Kyaah!" Lucy fell backwards, and the intruder toppled onto her. Lucy squirmed away from the invader, and smacked them upside the head.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT?!" she shouted as Zeref slowly stood up, brushing dust off of his cloak.

"Well, I needed you to open the window. You shouldn't lock it anymore, it makes it hard for me to get in," Natsu complained. Lucy glared death at him.

"And WHY do you need to come ito MY HOUSE in the middle of the night?" she seethed. Natsu shrugged.

"I felt like it." He turned to her kitchen, then suddenly seemed to appear beside her fridge. "And because Happy wanted me to get his fish he stored in here." He reached inside the fridge and pulled out a small, light green bundle, then tucked it away in his cloak. By this time, Lucy was up and advancing towards him quickly.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" she screeched, aiming to kick him. But Natsu easily dodged, then leisurely walked back to her window.

"Bye, Luigi," he said half-heartedly, already jumping out the open window.

"IT'S LUCY! AND USE THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!" Lucy hollered after him. Natsu just waved over his shoulder, irritating Lucy further.

"The nerve of him! He just barges in, takes something from _my_ fridge, and then leaves like nothing happened!" She flopped onto her bed, glaring at the ceiling.

"And I forgot to ask him about the keys again!"

Natsu was practically glowing the next day, which immediately put everyone on edge. He looked almost... _happy_ for once.

"Zeref! Don't leave me behind!" Happy called, running to catch up to his best friend. Natsu actually stopped and let the neko climb onto his head.

"That there is real suspicious," Wakaba whispered to Macao.

"Definitely suspicious," Macao agreed quietly, watching Natsu over the edge of his beer.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Lisanna teased, coming to stand in front of him. Natsu just shrugged.

"He doesn't know either. He just got up this morning and acted like this," Happy said, not really helping in the mystery. Natsu glanced up at the cat, then reached up to rub Happy's ears.

"Exactly what he said," Natsu said simply, then went to sit at a corner table. What really creeped everyone out, though, was that he was _humming_. Like, a _real song_.

"Zeref!" Everyone looked at the doors just as they banged open. Lucy was standing there, looking extremely tired and really mad. She looked around, caught sight of Zeref, and charged over there.

"STOP BREAKING INTO MY HOUSE!" she screamed right in his face. Everyone watched with bated breath as Natsu blinked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said innocently. The guild gaped in shock. This _girl_ had came and _screamed in his face_ , and she wasn't six feet under already?  
"Really?" Lucy growled. "Then would you mind telling me why you decided to have breakfast in _my_ kitchen?" Natsu blinked again, then leaned back in the chair.

"Because Happy wanted to," he answered. Lucy glared at both the boy and the cat.

"I don't care if you want to eat in my kitchen. You do _not_ break into my house!" she hissed. Natsu shrugged again, as if he couldn't care less.

"Okay, fine."

"Aye."

Lucy sighed, glad that that was over with.

"Okay, and also, what did you mean by I was a better Celestial wizard than you? Are you really a Celeatial wizard?" she asked, knowing this might be her only chance in forever to ask him about this.

"No, I'm not a Celestial wizard. But I can use Celestial keys," Natsu replied. The guild blinked out of their stupor, then started talking in hushed conversations about what was happening right before their eyes.

"He definitely likes her," Lisanna whispered to Mira. Mira giggled, then nodded her head.

"You can tell, too, huh? It's totally obvious by the way he's so gentle to her," she observed, wiping down the bar counter.

"I can hear you, Mira, Lisanna."

The two said girls yelped, turning to stare at the speaker, expecting a look that promised a world of hurt if they didn't shut up. But Natsu's eyes were just faintly amused, and he shook his head.

"Dragon Slayer, remember?" he said, pointing to his ears. The guild immediately quieted, realizing Natsu could hear their every word. "Okay, what were you saying again?"


	11. Chapter 11

_***Sits at the edge of the demon pit, tapping furiously on my keyboard***_  
 _ **Natsu: *Looms behind me, a dark aura surrounding him***_  
 _ **Me: *Doesn't notice as I type away***_  
 _ **Natsu: You haven't updated this story in quite a while, right?**_

 _ **Me: *Shudders at Natsu's voice as I slowly turn around* Maybe...?**_

 _ **Natsu: *Kicks me in the back* UPDATE, YOU FOOL!**_

 _ **Me: *Grabs the edge of the pit, grabbing my computer with my other hand* NOOO**_

* * *

Lucy sighed, almost facepalming, but stopped herself.

"I wanted to know why you even gave me these keys. You could've just sold them for a lot of money, you know," she said, fingering her Celestial keys. Natsu shrugged.

"I'd rather have a real Celestial mage have them than have them sold by some fancy store out there with no respect for their powers," he stated, leaning back in his chair, balancing on only two legs.

"But why me? There are other Celestial wizards out there, you know," Lucy pressed. Natsu sighed, tilting his head back so far he was staring at the bar upside-down.

"Dunno. You just seem like a good person. Can we please stop talking about this?" He came back down, his chair making a loud 'thump' as all four legs hit the floor. His eyes were slightly brighter, flashing gold. Lucy shuddered, shrinking under his stare.

"S-sure, sure," she agreed nervously. Natsu looked away, staring out the window behind her.

"I'm bored," he said abruptly. "Want to go on a job with me and Happy?" All of a sudden, the guild was silent. Somewhere, someone dropped their cup, and the resulting crash of shattering glass was deafening. Happy, seated on the table in between Natsu and Lucy, dropped his fish on the table.

"D-did Zeref...?"

"Yeah..."

"Impossible..."

Natsu glared around the room, making everyone gulp and shut up quickly.

"Um, sure...?" Lucy looked around at the shocked faces of the guild. "What's with them?"

"Beats me," Natsu said, shrugging again. "Go pick a mission already. I'm too lazy to get up right now." The whole guild was itching to scream in surprise, shock, and horror, but they held their tongues in fear of what Natsu would do if they made only a small peep.

"So bossy," Lucy muttered, sticking her tongue out, but stood up and grabbed the first mission she laid her eyes on. "Here. Good enough for you, sir?" She slapped the paper on the table, making many look on in fear of her safety. But Natsu merely glanced at the paper, then laughed. _He. Fucking. Laughed._

"Z-Zeref...?" Happy gasped.

"Are you sure about this one?" Natsu asked seriously, once he was done laughing.

"Um, yes..?"

"Mira! We're taking Everlue!" Natsu shouted, standing up. Mira jumped at hearing her name called, but before she could answer back, Natsu was already up and moving, Lucy hurrying after him. Right when the doors closed, the guild gave a collective intake of breath.

"IMPOSTER!" one member screeched. "ZEREF HAS BEEN REPLACED!"

"He must have been poisoned!" another decided, jabbing a finger in the air.

"No, he was possessed by a spirit!" a third one declared, crossing his arms and nodding to himself.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Makarov shouted, and everyone fell silent. "Zeref has merely found the person he needs, that's it. You all know she's a Celestial mage, do you not?"

"Oh! That explains it!" Elfman said, pounding a fist into his palm. "He's a real man!"

"Uh, no..." Lisanna said, sweatdropping.

"The point is," Makarov said with a cough, "he's finally found her. So, just don't do anything to provoke him, or I can't say what'll happen to you!"

"Aye, sir!"

* * *

"I hate my life," Lucy groaned.

"I hate my life more," Natsu moaned.

"Mine's worse," Lucy mumbled.

"Mine's worst," Natsu grumbled.

"What makes yours so bad?" Lucy asked, turning onto her other cheek to face him. "I have to dress up as a maid for a pervert!" The two were currently in a chariot, riding to Duke Everlue's mansion. They were both laying in their seats, face-down.

"My insides are dying..." Natsu said hoarsely, his face slightly green. Lucy suddenly shot up in her seat.

"YOU HAVE MOTION SICKNESS?" she screeched. Natsu winced.

"Be quiet," he growled, but his supposed-to-be-scary glare was destroyed as the chariot gave another lurch. Lucy stared at him incrediously for a few seconds, then started laughing.

"The mighty Salamander can't even handle a train ride?" she howled, wiping away a tear. "This is too funny!"

"And will you still think it's funny when I've burned and spat on your corpse?" Natsu said menacingly, and his eyes glowed golden. Lucy choked, eyes wide, and she instinctively grabbed Happy and hid behind him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she whimpered. Happy squirmed from her grip, saying something nobody understood because of the scaly creature in his mouth.

"Just shut up and don't say anything for the rest of the ride." Natsu gave her a glare so harsh Lucy had no choice but to nod furiously. "Now... I hate my life..."

* * *

 _ **Me: THERE! I UPDATED, YOU DEMON! NOW GET ME OUT!**_

 _ **Natsu: Naah... *Stomps on my fingers***_

 _ **Me: YOU SON OF A-**_

 _ **Natsu: *Smirks evilly* Bye bye**_

 _ **(And this won't exactly be a NaLu story, but it will have hints of NaLu in it. I'm only making some NaLu because I ship it. A lot.)**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Natsu: When will you update, you moron?**_

 _ **Me: Whenever I can**_

 _ **Natsu: I'm tired of waiting**_

 _ **Me: Then go read another story**_

 _ **Natsu: *Shoots me in the elbow***_

 _ **Me: YOU SON OF A BITCH! What was that for?!**_

 _ **Natsu: Don't you dare talk back to me! NOW UPDATE THE DAMN STORY OR I CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU'LL BE ALIVE FOR MUCH LONGER!**_

 _ **Me: O-o-okay, okay! J-just don't kill me! *Runs to my computer***_

 _ **(Thanks, Destributor, for inspiring me to update! CX I modified your idea a little, though...)**_

* * *

When they finally reached Shirotsume Town, Lucy finally took a real look at the job she had picked. Natsu watched and waited, a small, mischevious smile on his face.

"So, the job is to get the book 'Daybreak' from Duke Everlue... Seems simple enough," Lucy said, looking up at Natsu with a smile. He mysteriously shook his head, then pointed to the corner, where there was print so tiny it was barely legible.

"'Please note: Duke Everlue is a pervert that is currently after blond maids.'" Lucy paused, processing this information, then turned to Natsu with a look of betrayal on her face. He had a hand over his mouth, hiding his smile. "You tricked me!" she wailed. Natsu laughed, then, loudly and cruelly.

"It's not my fault you don't lok before you grab!" he teased, grinning. "I asked if you were sure, anyways. It's your own fault."

"Shut up!" Lucy smacked his head with the paper, and Happy gasped.

"He's gonna blow..!" he muttered, eyes wide. But Natsu merely laughed again, pushing Lucy away. Happy was shocked that Natsu had taken such a liking to Lucy; if he ever teamed up with anyone - which he had once with Mira and never done again - he would make a point to do almost all of it himself. But he seemed to enjoy hanging around with Lucy. Probably because the magic practically drowning the air around the Celestial mage kept his demon side at bay.

"So, we have to go to that big mansion?" Lucy pointed to the said mansion, already forgetting why she was mad in the first place. Natsu shook his head.

"We have to visit this Melon guy first," he pointed out. "After all, he was the one who posted the job in the first place."

"Melon..." Happy started drooling slightly.

"Not a real melon!" Natsu snorted, tapping Happy lightly on the head. The neko frowned.

"Darn... I'm hungry," he whined. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"You have fish in your pack, remember?" he reminded the cat. Happy's eyes lit up.

"Aye!"

"Ahem!" Natsu glanced at Lucy to see her impatiently tapping her foot. "Could we go now? This is my first job, and I don't want you two to mess it up!"

" _Us_?" Natsu said incrediously. "Lady, we've been on more jobs than you could count. I'm pretty sure _you're_ the one that's going to mess up." Lucy's face heated.

" _I'm_ going to mess it up? I'm a wizard of Fairy Tail now!" she said indignantly. "I've been one for the past-" she glanced at a nearby clock tower. "-two days, four hours, and eighteen minutes!"

"I've been a Fairy Tail wizard for years," Natsu said, voice suddenly cold. "I'm pretty sure I have more experience than you." Lucy bit her lip.

"I guess you're right," she admitted. "Sorry, I just-"

"I get it. You don't want to ruin your reputation after only one job. Don't worry, I won't let us fail." Natsu's eyes flashed a warm gold, and he gave a grin, showing off his unusually sharp canine teeth. Lucy suddenly felt her face growing hot.

"D-don't say stuff like that so seriously!" she squeaked, hiding her face. Natsu laughed again, though it was more friendly than the first one.

"You're the boss, star girl," he mocked, absently reaching over and petting Happy's head. "Where to? I'm getting bored."

* * *

"Hello, my name is Kaby Melon, and I-"

"MELON!" Happy screeched, drooling. Natsu bonked him on the head.

"Not a real melon. We had this conversation before."

"Aye..."

"A-anyways..." Kaby continued, looking slightly miffed. "I want you to get a book from Duke Everlue. The book is-"

"Daybreak, yeah, I know." Natsu leaned forward. "You didn't put a specific reward on it. What's the price?"

"I'm willing to pay up to two million," Kaby said seriously. Natsu gave a small grin.

"Now, tell me, why is this book so important to you?"

"It's not special to me or anything. I simply need that book gone." Kaby clenched his fists, and his wife put a hand on his shoulder. "That book can't be allowed to exist!"

"I understand. We'll take care of it right away."Lucy just stood back, watching Natsu handle the situation like a pro.

"He really is more experienced," she muttered to herself.

* * *

Natsu fiddled with his scarf, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Are you scared?" Lucy teased, a cat-like smile on her face.

"Not scared... I just have this weird feeling..." Natsu murmured, then pressed his lips together in a thin line. He gave Lucy a strange glance. "I don't know."

"Natsu..." Happy worriedly perched on Natsu's head and poked the wizard's face. "You're being weird..."

"Sorry, buddy." Natsu reached up and pat Happy's head. "I just have a bad feeling about this job." Happy frowned.

"That's not good. Your bad feelings are usually right." He sat up and put a paw on his chin. "Maybe we should wait until your feeling goes away..."

"We can't do that. We have to finish the job quickly," Natsu said, stone-faced.

"Um, am I missing something?" Lucy asked, frowning. Natsu waved his hand.

"Nothing, never mind. Let's just get this over with." He headed for the noticeable mansion, ignoring Lucy's pestering questions.

"Come on, we're supposed to be partners," she pressed, reaching over and grabbing Natsu's arm. He irritably shook his arm out of her hands.

"We're just partners for the day. This won't happen very often, so don't get used to it." He walked ahead, making Lucy have to practically run to catch up with his long strides.

"Some friend he is," she grumbled.

"Shut up and keep walking."

"AYE!"

* * *

 ** _Me: *Stares at the pile of shit I just wrote*_**

 ** _Natsu: ...Really? That's all you could write for Destributor?_**

 ** _Me: Yes. Now leave me alone_**

 ** _Natsu: ...*Calls for a Lucy Kick*_**

 ** _Me: W-wait, no-!_**

 ** _Lucy: LUCY KICK! *Kicks me in the face*_**

 ** _Me: NOO! WHY? I'M THE AUTHOR! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME?!_**

 ** _Natsu: Because you suck_**

 ** _Lucy: I agree_**

 ** _Me: *Crawls to a corner and hugs my computer* Everyone hates us, my child. *Pets computer*_**

 ** _Natsu/Lucy: ...Da fuq?_**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Ermegerd, lookie here! Another chapter!**_

 _ **Natsu: OH MY GOD. SOMEONE, QUICKLY, MAKE SURE HE'S STILL SANE. THIS IS JUST CRAZY.**_

 _ **Me: You have maalikdb to thank for this early update! She inspired me for some strange reason!**_

* * *

"So... this is the place?"

"Who else has a mansion around here?"

"Right..."

Lucy gave the building a once-over. To her, it looked a lot like her old home.

"It looks too fancy," she sniffed.

"Maybe to you, but not to most people. They consider homes like this a public display of wealth, even if they aren't actually wealthy. Kind of like the Melons."

"Huh?" Lucy gave him a confused glance.

"Oh, they don't actually live there. What, you couldn't tell?" He didn't give her time to answer and started to walk to the side of the building. Lucy huffed, puffing out her cheeks like a child, and stomped after him. Natsu suddenly held his hand out and grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't walk so loudly. Everlue'll notice us," he whispered. Lucy scowled, but walked lighter.

"Where are we even going?" she asked.

"Well, first of all, you need to go and get in your costume." Lucy's eyes narrowed, and she reached over and pulled sharply on the hood of Natsu's cloak, making him stumble.

"I am _not_ posing for a pervert!" she hissed. Happy climbed into the hood she had just pulled.

"Come on, Lucy!" he pleaded. "It's for the job!"

"I said _no_!" Lucy snapped, a little louder than Natsu liked.

"Keep your voice down!" he growled, glaring at her with flashing golden eyes. Lucy gulped, her anger instantly tempered.

"Sorry..."

"Boyoyoyoyo!"

"Shit," Natsu cursed, feeling the ground tremble. Lucy looked around.

"Is there an earthquake?"

" _So_! Another worthless guild has come again! Boyoyoyoyo!" A hole suddenly opened up in the ground, and what looked like a big potato with a mustache popped out. the potato was wearing a suit and had a little hair on it's head, so Natsu had to assume it was actually just an extremely fat man.

"Hey! A potato!" Happy shouted, pointing with his little blue paw to the potato man.

"I'm not a potato!" the man cried angrily. "I am Duke Everlue! Master to many beautiful maids!" A few more holes opened in the ground, most likely on cue, and four ugly maids burst out of them.

"Master!" The maids clung to Everlue, showering him with affection. Everlue laughed obnoxiously.

"How are _they_ pretty?" Lucy exclaimed. Everlue turned his piggy eyes to her. He looked her up and down, and Lucy crossed her arms over her chest with a blush.

"Go home, ugly," Everlue said dismissively. Lucy's heart was stabbed with a knife.

"Yeah, ugly!" the maids agreed.

"U-ugly..." She staggered over to a tree and rested her head on it's bark.

"Lucy!" Happy flew over to her, hovering beside her shoulder and offering awkward comfort. Natsu watched with slight amusement, chuckling a bit, when Everlue turned his attention to him.

"Pink hair? Boyoyo! It looked better on Virgo!" Everlue scoffed. Happy suddenly froze, stiffly turning so he could watch how Natsu would react. The cloaked boy's head was down, but he calmly reached up and pulled his hood over his face, hiding his vibrant pink hair and expression.

"So, I look stupid. Is that what you're saying?" he asked icily.

"Exactly! Go home with ugly over there!" Everlue twirled his nose mustache in his fingers.

"Yeah, go home, stupid!" All four maids stuck their tongues out at Natsu. Visibly, he looked like he couldn't care less. But Happy knew Natsu was just seconds from exploding. But instead, a smile slowly grew on his lips.

"Well, if I'm so stupid-" He raised up his hand from where it had been resting in his pocket. A golden book glittered in his hands. "-then how in the world did I get this?" Everlue let out a squawk of surprise.

"That's mine!" Natsu tossed the book over to Happy.

"Lucy, take Happy and bring the book to Kaby. I'll take care of these weirdos." Lucy dismally took the book from Happy, then slowly started away. "Quickly!" Natsu snapped, letting a bit of anger seep into his tone. Lucy instantly started to run, squeaking out an 'Aye!'.

"That was very foolish of you... Boyoyo..." Everlue said darkly, snapping his fingers. His four maids retreated, and Natsu realized that the really skinny maid sunk into the ground.

"That isn't good..."

* * *

Lucy slowed down gradually, then came to a halt. She glanced back, where she could just barely make out Natsu's pink hair.

"I'm going back," she announced.

"Don't! N-Zeref will kill you!" Happy grabbed her ponytail and started to tug on it. Lucy irritably swatted him away and started sneaking back, stopping only to shoo Happy away. But the Exceed wasn't putting much effort in his attempts, as he was just as curious as to what Natsu was doing as she was. They snuck around behind the trees, Happy half-heartedly protesting. Once they were close enough to see and hear clearly, though still out of sight, they peered through the bushes and watched.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you!" Everlue was saying, literally swimming in dirt. Natsu removed his cloak from his shoulders and tossed it to the side.

"Don't think I'll go all out on you," Natsu retorted, watching the man carefully. He was so focused on his enemy that he didn't feel the slight tremors in the ground beneath his feet. He only noticed when theground broke under his feet, leaving a large, endless-looking drop beneath him.

"Well, shit." He fell into the hole without another sound. Happy had to restrain himself from shrieking as loud as he could. Lucy just stood there, eyes wide.

"Well, that was easy, boyoyo," Everlue chuckled.

"Zeref... I didn't know you were so lame!" Lucy shouted suddenly. An eruption of dirt suddenly flew from the hole, and Natsu exploded out of it, covered in grime. Lucy blinked as some of the dirt rained on her head. But that wasn't the only thing that had shocked her.

I mean, since when did Natsu have wings?!

* * *

 _ **Thought of ending it here... BUT I'm trying to make the chapters longer, so... continue onwards!**_

* * *

"ZEREF?!"

"Er... Hi." Natsu finally landed on the ground, rubbing the back of his head. The wings folded onto his back, and he wrapped his cloak around himself once again.

"YOU HAVE WINGS?!" Lucy screamed.

"Um... yeah..."

"HOW?!"

"I don't know..."

"So you have wings! That's nothing special!" Everlue scoffed, though his eyes were wide. He seemed to have spoken out of habit rather than putting any thought into his speech.

"You know, you're annoying," Natsu said, glancing over at Everlue. "I can't enjoy a good fight when you aren't worth a minute of my time." He suddenly disappeared, and Everlue blinked and looked around.

"Where the hell did he go?"

"Behind you." Everlue whipped around, only to be met with Natsu's fist. He flew back into a tree, nose bent and broken, with a stupid grin on his face.

"W-wow..." Lucy awed. Natsu approached Everlue, then suddenly reached out and snatched something from the man's pocket. He pocketed whatever it was, then turned to Lucy.

"I would've liked to have you fight him, but I couldn't give him the chance to take your keys. After all, he was the one I got Virgo from." He walked over to Lucy with a small smile. "So sorry for not letting you get in on the action."

"N-no problem..." Lucy muttered automatically. Natsu reached over and took the book from her hands.

"Let's get home before he wakes up."

* * *

Happy snored gently on top of Natsu's had, tuckered out from all his worrying. Lucy was biting her lip, trying to find the right way to tell Natsu what she thought she had found out.

"Hey, Zeref...?"

"What?"

"Um, earlier, I heard Happy call you something else..." _**(Remember in the last chapter Happy called him Natsu?)**_ Natsu tensed.

"Yeah...?"

"Is your name really Zeref?" Lucy asked, looking him in the eye. Natsu was the first to look away.

"No... If you must know, my name is actually Natsu. But I only tell that to people I trust." He turned and met her eyes again, but this time he refused to look away. "You can't call me Natsu in front of _anyone_. You have to call me Zeref. Otherwise, I might have to erase your memory."

"You can do that?" Lucy whispered, shocked that Natsu was trusting her with his secret.

"Yes. And I won't hesitate to do it." Natsu eyed her coldly. "Hold out your hand." Lucy complied, not really understanding. But Natsu suddenly whipped out a knife and cut her palm, making her wince.

"Hey!" Natsu made a cut in his own palm, then put their hands together, gripping her hand tightly.

"You have to make a blood oath on it," he said solemly. "Once you make an oath you swear to never break, then the cut will disappear. But once you break your oath, the cut will reappear on your hand and my hand." Lucy gulped, realizing the seriousness of this situation.

"Repeat after me." Natsu put his remaining hand over their clasped fingers. Lucy nodded to show she was listening.

 _"I swear that for my own good-"_

"I swear that for my own good-"

 _"-this will be an oath I will never break-"_

"-this will be an oath I will never break-"

 _"-and if I shall ever break this promise-"_

"-and if I shall ever break this promise-"

 _"-then may the heavens mark me a mistake."_

"-then may the heavens mark me a mistake."

Lucy felt her palm growing warmer.

 _"And-"_

"There's more?" Lucy interrupted. Natsu's eyes became a furious gold. "Sorry..."

 _"And after I am branded a liar-"_

"And after I am branded a liar-"

 _"I give my oath for my promise to be erased."_

"I give my oath for my promise to be erased."

Lucy's hand felt like it was on fire, but she didn't feel a need to pull away. After a few seconds, her palm cooled, and Natsu releaded her hand. The cut she had recieved was gone, replaced with an odd, dragon-shaped mark. It was black in color, and it twisted around in such a way that it reminded Lucy of the yin-yang symbol. The mark faded, and soon her hand looked just the same as it looked before the oath.

"Now your promise is sealed," Natsu said flatly, pocketing his hands. "If you ever break it, know I'll never trust you again. I've made far too many trust mistakes, and I don't intend to make another one.

* * *

 ** _WAS THAT LONG ENOUGH,_** _ **MAALIKDB-SENPAI?!**_

 _ **Okay, in all seriousness... that oath sucked CX**_

 _ **What? I can't create good oaths off the top of my head like- *SNAP!* Perfect oath, right there!**_

 _ **Now, I know what you're thinking- Two chapters in a day, and you didn't update for MONTHS before?!**_

 _ **Well, SORRY! My inspiration ran off with my self-worth and pride!**_

 _ **Natsu: Who would care now? Nobody did before**_

 _ **Gray: BUUUURN!**_

 _ **Me: Natsu, since when were you so cruel...? *Cries in a corner***_


End file.
